Friends Forever
by HypnoticMelody
Summary: -ONE SHOT- The Samurai Rangers ring in the New Year at a party in downtown Panorama. Little bit of Mike/Emiy -Part of the Heart of a Samurai series. Set after Christmas Together.-


**Friends Forever**

**Summary**** - -ONE SHOT-The Samurai Rangers ring in the New Year. -Part of the Heart of a Samurai series. Set after Christmas Together.-**

* * *

_They say that what you do on New Year's you will be doing the rest of the year._

On New Year's Eve, the last Saturday of the month, Mike quietly tiptoed into Jayden and Melody's shared room. While the Red Ranger, as usual, got up early to train, working more with his right wrist to build up the strength again, Melody was taking the time to sleep in.

Mike grinned to himself as he tip-toed over to the sleeping Purple Ranger before he launched himself into the air and landed on her, instantly waking her up, as she screaming in pain. "Good, you're awake," Mike commented as Melody opened an eye to glare at him.

"You'd wake up too if someone projectile launched themselves onto you," Melody groaned as she rolled onto her back to squint up at him as Mike sat back on his heels. "What is it?"

"We were wondering if you would make those apple things for New Year's," Mike replied.

"What apple things?" Melody asked, blindly reached for her blankets, pulling them up over her head. "I'm trying to sleep, go away."

"Those apple…pastry things," Mike replied, tapping her repeatedly on the shoulder.

"You mean apple turnovers?" Melody asked, slapping his hand away. "Do you know how long it takes to make those things?" She pushed her blankets down and turned to glance at the clock. "It's only 10:30 in the morning."

"Which is why I'm asking you now," Mike replied. He then stuck out his bottom lip and clasped his hands together. "Please? And I'd be happy to help you." Melody peered at him for a moment.

"Did Mia kick you out of the kitchen or something?" she finally asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes," Mike replied, dramatically. "And I'm _starving_. She's working on a dessert or something today, and I don't want to be the taste tester."

"Say no more," Melody replied with a sigh, rubbing at her eyes. "Mike, just do one thing for me."

"What's that?" Mike asked.

"Get. _Off me_," Melody replied before kicking him off the bed and onto the floor. "Please tell me it's not Mia cooking breakfast." She pushed her blankets back and swung her feet to the floor as Mike got to his feet. "I think I'd rather snack on stuff all day on junk food then risk the possibility of being nauseous at the sight of food."

"No, Mentor is cooking," Mike replied with a small laugh as he headed towards the door. "Trust me; I was worried about that too."

Melody chuckled, moving to close the door after he left. She quickly changed before walking down the hallway and into the kitchen, following the smell of bacon. She quickly grabbed one out of the frying pan when Mentor Ji was looking through the cabinets, and tossed the hot piece of pork back and forth in her hands before it was cool enough to take a bite.

"Where Kevin and Emily?" she asked, dropping into a free seat next to Mia, who was enjoying a cinnamon roll.

"They went to the store to get some ingredients for me," Mia replied with a smile. "I have a whole bunch of stuff I want you guys to try, like Bacon Water Chestnut Wraps, and Texas Caviar with Avocado, and my specialty Beef and Asparagus Negimaki." She looked towards the doorway, catching movement, and smiled at Jayden as he wrapped his wrist in a bandage. "Morning, Jayden. Training go well?"

"Yeah, Mia was just telling us about her ideas for snacks tonight," Mike said, looking pointedly at the Red Ranger, hoping he would take his hint to tell Mia about her food.

Jayden glanced at Mia's expression and then looked back at Mike before saying with a strained smile, "I heard. It sounds great, Mia. Can't wait to try it."

Mia watched as he made his way to the freezer, grabbing a dishtowel on the way. "Jayden, you won't get your proper strength back in your wrist if you don't give it time to heal properly," she commented with a shake of her head.

Jayden's shoulders rose and they could tell that he was annoyed that they were giving him advice on his injury. Not that he could blame them, he knew that they were just worried about him, but it got annoying having to hear about it all the time.

"I know, Jayden, but it just keeps swelling, it's not really taking the time to heal properly," Mia continued in a quiet voice as Jayden used his elbow to close the freezer door. Pressing the ice filled towel to his wrist, he sat down at the head of the table.

"Jayden's always been like this," Mentor Ji commented, turning away from the stove. He glanced at the frying pan and then at the bacon in Melody's hand and raised an eyebrow at her. Melody looked at the bacon and then at him before popping her piece into her mouth, giving him a toothy smile.

"You don't have to worry about me," Jayden commented in a tight voice, trying to wrap the towel around his wrist. "I'm getting my strength back, that's all the matters."

"Same old, Jayden," Antonio said as he walked into the kitchen, shaking his head, an amused look on his face. "You never know when to quit while you're behind." He grinned and lifted his fist and Jayden bumped it with his left hand. "Hola amigos."

"Antonio, when'd you get back?" Mia asked, getting out of her seat to give the Gold Ranger a hug.

"Dude, what's up?" Mike asked, leaning back in his chair to slap Antonio's palm. "How was your Christmas? Thanks for Pokémon Black by the way."

"Ah, no problem," Antonio replied, clapping Mike on the shoulder, moving to sit beside him. "Looks like I made it back just in time for breakfast. I just got back and my Christmas was golden." He jerked his thumb towards the front door. "My bags are by the door. I don't know how you didn't hear me."

Melody waved her hand in the air. "Kevin and Emily should be back soon," she commented. "They went to the grocery store, but they'll be happy to see you've returned. I think Kevin was missing his running buddy."

"And someone to try and mold into a mini Kevin," Mike commented with a grin. "So, how's your dad?"

"Still smells like fish," Antonio replied with a grin. "And the shop is doing well. He misses me, but, he always knew why I'd end up leaving—" he trailed off, letting out a happy sigh, "he's proud of me, though, so it's all good in the hood."

"_Antonio_!" Emily rushed into the kitchen and before the Gold Ranger could move, threw her arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug from behind. "Did you just get back? We missed you."

"Hey, Emily," Antonio greeted the Yellow Ranger, hugging her arms. "Hey, Kev."

"Welcome back, Antonio," Kevin said with a nod as he shuffled into the room, arms filled with three shopping bags. Mia immediately got up and started checking the bags. "We got everything you need." He gave a fleeting smile. "Can't wait to taste what you come up with."

"Mia, wouldn't you rather spend your New Year's having some fun?" Emily asked, pulling a sheet of paper out of one of the grocery bags. "_And_ as an added bonus, giving Mentor some time to himself?"

"What've you got Emily?" Mentor asked, turning off the stove, and using tongs to transfer them to a plate of scrambled eggs. He grabbed a cinnamon roll off the island and put it on his plate.

"It's a flier for this _huge_ party in the city tonight," Emily replied, unraveling it to show to him.

"First Night, right?" Jayden asked, peering curiously at her and Emily nodded. "Man, I haven't been to that in years." A thoughtful look then crossed his face. "The last time I went—"

"You threw up on the Ferris Wheel," Antonio replied with a grin. "Word of advice kids, don't fill up on funnel cake and corn dogs before you go on the ride."

"Well, that explains why the streets near the downtown park have been closed off recently," Melody commented as she rubbed her chin, leaning back in her chair.

"It looks like it'll be a lot of fun," Emily said, showing Mentor the flier. "There's rides, games, fortunetellers, magicians, a water light show at the harbor and _fireworks_. Can we go? Please?" Mentor put up his hands and motioned for her to ask Jayden. Emily turned her begging face towards him.

"I don't know, guys," Kevin commented, leaning against the island. "We still have to get up early to train in the morning. We won't get much done if we're all tired."

"…You've never stayed up until midnight on New Year's have you?" Mike asked after a moment of silence. "Dude, you don't know what you're missing. This is the perfect opportunity to hang out with friends and stuff yourself with corndogs."

"Sounds like fun," Kevin deadpanned.

"It'd be cool to go one last time," Antonio said to Jayden. "And Mentor _does_ deserve a night to relax."

Jayden tilted his head from side to side as he thought about it. Mentor _did_ deserve to have a night to relax by himself, especially a night without Mike being so bored he started messing with people. And it had been a while since he had gone to First Night himself.

"Why not? Sounds like fun," Jayden replied and smiled as his friends started cheering.

* * *

Laughter and music mingled through the air, adding to the already joyous atmosphere. Boys and girls danced across the grass, holding cans of soda as they talked, laughed, and screamed together. The older crowd was smiling at guests as they flitted through the crowds. Older men sat at tables that were strategically placed around the area, some in heated discussions, others catching up with news from old friends. Women lined the edges of the square in large groups, giggling and watching as some of the younger men began to dance. The smells of popcorn, grilling food, and the smoke from burned out sparklers filled nostrils as they inhaled.

"Wow, this place is off the hook," Mike said with a large appreciative grin as he looked around the large party. "Now this is _my_ kind of party."

"What should we do first?" Emily asked, looking around, her eyes wide, bouncing off every food cart and attraction in front of her.

"Funnel cake!" Melody cried, punching the air with her fists. She then rubbed her hands together, licking her lips. "I can taste the powdered sugar already."

"Hey, watch it!" Kevin muttered as someone stumbled into him, spilling their cup onto him. After a few seconds, they could all tell it was alcohol. "Great." He made a face as he pulled his wet shirt from his skin. "Hey guys, be careful of what's offered to you," he said, nodding towards Emily.

"Don't sweat it, I'll take good care of her," Mike replied, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Nothing but soda for us."

"Great, two hyper Rangers, that's just what we needed," Antonio laughed, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets. "Looks like this'll be golden."

"Were you guys planning on staying for the fireworks?" Mia asked, pulling tissues out of her purse, handing them to Kevin to help him blot his shirt. "With all these people here, I think we should try and beat the traffic out of here."

"Let's at least meet back here around 11:45 so we can ring in the New Year together," Melody commented, crossing her arms over her chest, giving a shrug. "We can decide then. I bet most of these people will be clamoring for a spot for the fireworks show anyway."

"Let's go," Emily cried, bouncing up and down. She then grabbed Mike's arm and started pulling him away. "There's too many rides and not enough time."

"Em, slow down," Mike laughed, struggling to fall into step beside her, making sure he didn't fall over from the hard tug. He turned and gave his friends a wave, seeing them walking in different directions: Mia and Kevin looking to find a bathroom, Jayden and Antonio went in one direction, and Melody disappeared in a large crowd in front of her.

"Catch you guys later. So, what do you want to do first?" Emily turned and gave him an odd look and his eyes widened slightly. "Why do I hate that look?"

Minutes later, Mike was sitting in a chair, facing a fortuneteller as she hummed, swaying back and forth in her chair, peering into a glass ball. Emily was practically bouncing with excitement in her seat. Mike never believed in fortune tellers or palm readers, but Emily really wanted to go inside, and he didn't want to disappoint her over something so small.

"Ahhhh," the fortune teller said as she waved her fingers around the crystal ball. There was a moment of silence before she leaned back in her seat. Mike and Emily exchanged odd looks. "Ah!" She picked up a card and her eyes widened as she looked repeatedly at the card and then at Emily. Her gaze was intense. Though she was young her eyes held many more years of wisdom. "The cards tell me, Madam Futuro, you are very artistic."

"That's amazing," Emily said with a smile. "I mean, I _do_ play the flute. I haven't done so in a while, but that's artistic, right?" She turned and shook Mike's knee. "Right?"

"Right," Mike replied with a nod, slumped in his chair. Emily elbowed him hard in the side and he sat up straighter, trying to look interested.

"There is dancing, there is music," Madam Futuro continued as if Emily didn't say anything. "You will have future endeavors in the arts."

"I will?" Emily asked, leaning forward in her seat and the fortune teller nodded. "I _will_. Mike, that's incredible."

"So, what about me?" Mike asked, resting his arms on the small, round table. "Am I artistic too?"

"…Yes, but you…you have other qualities," Madame Futuro replied, staring at him out of the corner of her eyes. "Um…athletic."

Mike's eyebrows shot up, but he didn't say anything. He was into baseball as a kid, and could be found on the basketball court every once in a while, playing a pick-up game with his friends. Since his freshmen year in high school he had partaken in parkour, which helped him out a lot with quick moves in Samurai training, or when he was trying to make a quick escape.

"Now, enough about you," the fortuneteller said with a wave of her hand. Her eyebrows started waggling as she looked back and forth between Mike and Emily. "Let's talk about…_you_." The two Rangers slowly turned to look at each other, before looking back at the fortune letter. "You are together?"

"We're _here_ together, if that's what you mean," Mike replied slowly. "But, we're not _together_ together."

"Yeah, we're just friends," Emily added, rubbing the back of her neck.

The fortuneteller let out a tinkling laugh. "You forget," she said, wagging a finger, "I can read the future. Madam Futuro can read the future." Mike cleared his throat, starting to slump in his chair again. "I can see a friendship starting to blossom into…_romance_." She stopped waving her arms around the crystal ball and peered at the two Rangers as a ringing tone hit the air. "Hold hands."

Emily gave Madam Futuro a weird look before slowly extending her hand towards Mike. Mike sighed and took her hand in his as he watched the fortuneteller pull a cell phone out of her pocket, get into an argument with whoever it was on the line, and get out of her seat, motioning them to stay there and that she would be back in a minute.

Not even ten minutes later was she back in the room. Emily had her chin propped up in her free hand, and Mike was rocking back and forth in his chair, staring at the ceiling, still holding hands. They hadn't said a word the whole time the fortuneteller was gone.

"You think she's ever coming back?" Emily asked in a monotone, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I don't know," Mike replied, putting all four chair legs back onto the ground. He glanced at his watch and sighed. "Look, let's just go. I don't think she's going to come back anytime soon."

"Sorry," Emily said as she pulled her hand from Mike's grabbing her purse, looping the handle around her shoulder. "It was my idea to come in here."

"No worries, Em," Mike replied with a grin, placing a hand on the small of her back, guiding her out of the tent. "It was pretty cool while it lasted. I never really considered myself as athletic, so I learned something new about myself." He stretched his arms over his head before rubbing his stomach. "Let's get some corndogs or something and play some games."

"Sounds like fun," Emily said with a grin. "But, I've gotta warn you; I'm the champion at the Rope Ladder."

"You're on, Em," Mike said with a challenging grin.

* * *

Jayden flipped the quilt that he held under his arm, onto the ground, lowering himself onto it. He pulled the pack of sparklers he bought out of his pocket and tossed them onto the ground. While Kevin and Emily were at the store, Emily had gotten Kevin to buy them so they could all play with them that night.

_So much for that_, Jayden thought as he wrapped his arms around his legs.

While a part of him was used to being off by himself, over the months he had been really getting accustomed to having the Rangers around. He'd participate in Mario Kart tournaments, or go out to the park to lay a game of soccer with everyone, even though he was pretty bad at it, and would hang out at the beach with the other Rangers as well.

"Bring a lighter?" Antonio asked, dropping down beside him before handing him a can of soda. Jayden retrieved the object from his front pocket and tossed it down next to the sprinklers before popping open his can of Sprite, taking a long sip. Antonio set his can aside and lit up one of the sparklers, and sat back, watching it flicker and flash. "I used to be so scared of these things."

"Couldn't understand why," Jayden commented, a grin coming to his face.

"You couldn't understand that these things could easily set you on fire?" Antonio joked, swinging the lighter through the air, watching the smoke make a bendy shape behind it. "Not all of us have the power of fire remember?"

"I remember you actually burned yourself on one of these things," Jayden commented, grabbing the lighter and lighting his own sparkler. "You wouldn't stop crying."

"I wasn't _crying_," Antonio defended himself puffing out his chest. "I took it like a man."

"A crying man," Jayden shot back.

"Real men aren't afraid to cry," Antonio said with a shrug and Jayden laughed. "Man, I've really missed this place. I forgot how much I loved fishing with my dad at Panorama Bay." He sighed as the sparkler burned down towards his fingers. He dropped it onto the grass and he ground it out with his shoe. "I didn't think I'd ever come back, but here I am. And I'm a Samurai. I still can't believe it."

"You've really helped us out, Antonio," Jayden commented, waving his sparkler in the air. "Thanks a bunch. I'm glad you're back." He lifted his fist and Antonio grinned, bumping it.

"Me too, mi amigo," Antonio replied. "Me too." The two of them fell into a comfortable silence as they watched groups of navigate their way along the hill, looking for a decent place to sit down.

"_This year was so great_."

"_Next year's gonna be awesome_."

"_It's crazy how we had snow just a few days ago, y'know? It never snows here_."

"_I am so drunk right now_."

"So, what's the deal with you and Mel?" Jayden slowly asked, turning to face his friend, scratching the back of his neck. "You said you wanted to ask her out."

"No deal," Antonio replied with a shrug and a sigh. "I asked her out and she turned me down. We're just friends." He gave a small laugh. "She did say I was 'golden' though." Jayden's lips twitched.

"Well…sorry," Jayden commented, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He knew what he said sounded lame, but he didn't know what else to say to Antonio, plus he didn't look to be upset about it. Antonio just shrugged. "But, we have the rule for a reason. I mean, we need to put all of our attention on the mission at hand. By now, Master Xandred must know that you're working on the Black Box. If we get distracted even for a moment, something could happen." He let out a sigh through his nose. "You guys are sacrificing a lot, and I don't like putting you in harm's way, whether or not you know the risks."

"We know the risks, Jay," Antonio replied with a shake of his head. "You preach it to us every day at training and we're willing to accept the risks to save the city and the Earth for our friends and family. We'll do everything we can until you master the sealing symbol."

"Right," Jayden muttered, nodding. He pressed his lips tightly together, a pained expression crossing his face.

"Sometimes, though, I feel like you focus _too much_ on our mission," Antonio added. Jayden gave Antonio a curious look, but the Gold Ranger didn't say any more.

"Hey guys," Melody greeted them, walking over with a plate of funnel cake in her hands. Antonio instantly moved over so she could sit down between them. "Funnel cake?"

"No thanks," Antonio replied, holding his hands in the air.

"Thanks," Jayden said as she offered the plate to him. He took a large chunk and placed it on his tongue, instantly smiling as the powdered sugar touched his tongue.

"Sparkler?" Antonio asked, offering the black stick to her.

"Cool, thanks," Melody replied as she set her plate down, taking it. Antonio ignited the firework and it immediately flared to life. "Where's everyone else? Shouldn't they be here by now?"

"They're probably just running a little late," Jayden commented before he swallowed his piece of funnel cake. "I got here early anyway."

"I'm getting another Coke," Antonio said, suddenly getting to his feet. "You guys want one?"

"No thanks, I'm still good with this," Jayden replied, lifting his can of Sprite, shaking it back and forth before taking a sip.

"I'm fine, thanks," Melody replied, giving him a smile.

Antonio smiled back and made his way down the hill. Silence fell over the two Rangers and Jayden started rolling his can of soda in his hands. Melody let out a small laugh of surprise and amusement when she saw a group of girls walk up to Antonio and start talking to him, twirling their hair around their fingers.

"Disappointed?" Jayden asked, glancing at the group of girls out of the corner of his eyes."Antonio told me he asked you out."

"I'm not interested in Antonio," Melody replied as her sparkler burned out. She dropped it onto the grass and grabbed another one, lighting it. A pale yellow glow illuminated her face, and the reflection of the light flickered in her blue eyes. She narrowed her eyes, studying the stick as it burned, her brows bunching together. "I wonder how these are made."

"Careful," Jayden said, just as sparks shot out onto her bare arm.

"_Ow_."Melody instinctively threw the sparkler away from her, rubbing at the burning spot on her arm. Jayden grabbed the cool end of the stick and tossed it onto the grass before he started stomping on it with his shoe. "Ok, that was a bad idea."

"Here, press this to your arm," Jayden said, offering her his half finished can of soda. She gave him an odd look as she did what she was told. "What? I was a clumsy as a kid."

"Clearly, your Samurai training has paid off," Melody commented with a snort, glancing at the red, slightly raised, skin. "Thanks."

"Yep," Jayden replied shortly.

"So, have you thought about what your New Year's resolution is going to be?" Melody asked, spotting Antonio making his way back over to them.

Jayden let out a breath of air. "I'm going to try and have more fun," he commented. "Having a balance in life is important. I just never really went through with it." He scratched the back of his neck. "Besides, having you guys around, I don't know how I can get anything done."

"You're not funny," Melody replied, deadpan as Antonio walked back over to them, holding two cans of soda. "Antonio, I said I didn't want one."

"I know," Antonio laughed", these are both for me." Jayden laughed as Melody shook her head. "I saw Mia, Kevin, Emily, and Mike. They're on their way over here. We should start packing up." Melody and Jayden got off the quilt and Jayden packed it up, tucking it back under his arm, using his free hand to take his can of soda back from Melody as she grabbed her plate of funnel cake.

"Hey guys," Emily shouted before running over to the group. "Look at the monkey Mike won for me." She thrust a fuzzy, ironically, yellow monkey forward for her friends to see. "You should've seen it! He was awesome."

"Who knew that years of my dad forcing me to play baseball would come in handy?" Mike asked with a shrug before taking a bite out of a peanut and caramel covered apple. As he chewed, Kevin and Mia walked up to them. Mike held it out in everyone's faces. "Want a bite?"

"No, thanks," Kevin said, making a face as Mia unlooped her arm from Kevin's. "You guys ready to go."

"Oh, we can't go yet," Mia said, glancing at her watch. "It's almost time to start counting down. Less than a minute now."

The minute went by pretty quickly and soon everybody in the park was counting down, well shouting, the last ten seconds of 2011, ringing in the New Year before exchanging hugs and loud cheers. Seconds later, a flash of light briefly illuminated the area before there was a loud boom as the first firework exploded over head.

"Well, Happy New Year guys," Antonio commented, a sly grin crossing his face as he shook one of the soda cans in his hand. Despite the loud protest by Mia, Antonio popped open the can, releasing a mix of foam and soda up into the air, splashing down on all of the Rangers. "May it be Golden."

"Antonio," Kevin groaned, although he had a small smile on his face.

"Let's get going," Mia commented, patting Kevin on the arm. "I think we've celebrated enough for one night."

"Yeah, I feel like falling asleep right here," Emily commented, suddenly looking tired. She stifled a yawn with the monkey. "I can't remember the last time I was able to stay up until midnight."

"Come on," Jayden commented, nodding his head towards the parking lot, leading the way up the hill.

As the Rangers moved to follow him, Mia grabbed Melody's arm, pulling her back, a mysterious look in her eyes. "They kissed," she suddenly said with a grin. "I saw 'em."

"Mike and Emily?" Melody asked, her eyes widening and Mia nodded. "I _knew _something was going on between them! When? Who kissed who? Where?"

"Last Kevin or I saw them, Emily was pulling Mike towards the fortune teller booth," Mia explained, her voice barely above a whisper. "Something must've happened during that; they were looking pretty close. Kevin and I saw her kiss him on the cheek after he won her the monkey. And then he kissed her back; well, on the cheek." Melody stared at Mia as the Pink Ranger gripped her arm and started jumping up and down, chanting, "they, they kissed, they kissed!" he laughed, jumping up and down.

An amused look then crossed Melody's face. "I tried to warn him," she commented with a smirk. "Guys and girls can't live in a house together without getting involved sooner or later." She moved forward, getting in front of Mia before she started walking backwards, giving Mia a knowing grin. "This also goes for you and Kevin." Mia's eyebrows twitched. "Don't think I didn't notice that you were practically holding hands." Her grin widened as Mia ran her fingers through her hair. "Something tells me 2012 is going to be a little more difficult for Jayden to handle."

* * *

**Ugh, I couldn't think of what to have happen with Mia and Kevin. It's harder for me to write the two of them together. But, I hope you guys liked it.**

**Sorry I haven't updated One of the Guys II yet. I wanted to get this done first seeing as it's a one-shot. Plus, I wanted to be sure I've really mapped out Soul of a Samurai well enough, with a good mix of chapters based on the episodes and original chapters as well. So, I'll be updating One of the Guys II in the next few days and then I'll be starting Soul of a Samurai.**

**~MysticMelody101~**


End file.
